With Good Intentions and Voila! Not One, But Two.

Big news.
First and foremost, I was hired to work part-time for a new clothing store at the mall. Yeah sure, believe me I know, I’m going to be using my degree to count some punk’s items before they go into the fitting room. It’s not exactly what I envisioned would be happening at this point, but I refuse to continue to sit on my fanny with an empty fannypack. haha
I started today, and though it was only an orientation-style training, it went well.
But what I’m most excited about is my other job. YES! I did say “other!” Considering my endless job-hunting and frustration, I did a bit of soul-searching. I thought about what I really wanted to do with what I had and what I could do. I know I want to help people, keep them informed, be responsible and I know that I want to do work for the Hispanic/Latino community. My community.
I figure what’s the point of knowledge if you don’t want to share it. I want to learn and I want to help others learn around me too.
So, I contacted a few people regarding volunteering. I checked out Latinitas, a non-profit that empowers young women to express themselves through various media including video-production, photography, and of course writing and gets the girls published in their monthly e-magazine. I was particularly interested in working with them because not only is it yes,  for the Hispanic/Latino community, but it also serves to mentor girls in something that I am passionate about. I wanted to upkeep my writing and I figured that if they’d let me do it, I would pay them to let me (with my time, of course). 🙂
I wrote an article for next month’s edition and went in for a meeting with the founder.
It was only supposed to be a meeting where we’d get acquainted and if they liked my article, I’d become an editorial intern where I’d  help them with after-school programs and such for a few hours a week.  They asked if I’d like to spend the rest of the day in the office working on website content, so I did. Not five minutes later did I get the most pleasant surprise I would have ever expected: I was offered a paid position!
Not only does it include me continuing to write but I am also responsible for blogging on their ‘tween social-network, web moderating, creating/helping with multimedia projects, club leading and mentoring young girls out at a few of the local libraries, etc., etc.!
This is great! So far I’ve copy-edited student-submissions, blogged, and been working on a few articles. And next week I start the community outreach part of my job as well. I am so loving that I get to do what I love, help other people, and mentor! And I’m getting paid. I am so grateful for the opportunity.
And…I get to keep both jobs!
It’s all about persistence I suppose. In my last entry I was pretty down, because it all seemed to be going nowhere good or interesting. I am so glad things are starting to look up! It’s funny how sometimes when you want to do something good for someone else, you get the unexpected in return. I just wanted to help and I have, too, been helped. What a funny life!
I’m sure I’ll have more great things to add soon.

Hello? Hello, Job? Are you there? No not Job the religious figure, but j-o-b…

I’m guessing it’s been about a good three weeks since my last post. Not much has changed…
Well, except for the list of places I’ve sent my resume to in the past three months. I’ve applied for any job that may remotely apply to my degree and any job that I was sure would take me on just as a part-timer so I could pay my bills on time. Nothing’s biting!
I’m slowly losing hope. What is one to do when they’re a college grad and they can’t even get a job at a call center that hires high school drop-outs and teenage mothers!?
This is getting to the point of embarrassment really.
Today, after sitting in an HR office for nearly three hours and watching as the most questionable characters were handed lab paperwork for the mandatory drug testing that (if  deems the candidate clean) guarantees them a j0b, I was taken into a cubicle covered in some ‘interviewer’s’ personal affectations, pictures, kids’ preschool drawings, and bedecked with  “i love mommy” stickers.  I was dragged into this maternal hell-hole after taking a typing test, viewing the cheesy customer service video, and staring in awe as that basketball-short-wearing douchebag was handed his “you’re hired!” paperwork, only to be told that my work history shows “instability.”
Me? yes, me, the Bachelor’s Degree-holding, 3-time intern, with an immaculate, traceable work history. The same person with a good credit rating, with the backing of all my previous managers, supervisors, and current friends, am not qualified for your gay-ass customer service data entry job?

I am completely speechless and totally disillusioned with everything. Everything! These past few weeks have done nothing but drag me off my cloud of optimism, mellowed my post-grad high, and done nothing but let me down.
It occurred to me that perhaps I’ve been setting my standards too high, so I lowered them considerably. CONSIDERABLY! And yet I’m still waiting on call backs but instead being handed those HR-heavy e-mails that “regretfully inform” me of my lack of qualifications, which by the way, do not outline exactly what it is that I’ve done wrong.
What have I done wrong? Since when does taking the opportunity to go to another city to learn about journalism, to learn about video production become a scarlet letter on my chest?? Since when does that scream “disaster?” Do I really belong behind a check-out counter, or in the back flipping burgers while my diploma patiently waits for me to pick it up from the registrar’s office?
What should my next steps be? Where does one go once they’ve applied to any and every job that they possibly can, in any city that would seem remotely logical?
Oh and the networking! Have I networked my tush off! I’ve talked to and shook the hands of who knows how many people. I even had a coffee date with a complete stranger eager to help for no noticeable reason other than she “wants to.”
This job-hunting deal is getting to be extremely irritating. I see and feel no progress and I can honestly sit here and type that this is my biggest nightmare come true. This is what kept me up at night when I found out I was eligible for graduation way back in March. and this is what continues to keep me up now.
I’m exhausted and I can only keep adding to that list of potential employers. Out of a million ‘no’s someday there will be a yes.